Bahrain: Team Indian Club A Bag Honours on More Kudlotsava Day Three
By Ronald D’Souza and Joe Andrade for DNN
Bahrain, Feb 21': It was another exciting and enthusiastic day for the cricketing ladies and their noisy cheering supporters at the colourful 7-a-side ladies cricket tournament at the Indian Club premises. The prevailing chilly weather with rising sand and heavy winds did not diminish the cricketing spirits of the participating teams, the spectators and the organisers but rather gave the tournament further momentum with the colourful Indian tricolours fluttering as jubilant as the cricketers.
At 7.45 pm the first semi-finals between Team Lobo’s International (27 runs in six overs) and Team Lovely Friends (51 runs in 6 overs) took place. Team Lovely Friends won. The dance artistes from Baikampady in Mangalore did their best but with dropped catches and poor fielding could not go far.
At 8.15 pm the second semi-finals between Team Indian Club A (51 runs in 6 overs) and Team Bunts Bahrain began. Team Indian Club A took the honours with the openers adding the bulk of their total score.
At 9.30 pm the finals between the two earlier winning teams took place. Team Indian Club A won the toss and elected to bat first securing 46 runs in 6 overs. Team Lovely Friends mustered a close 39 runs in the 6 overs. Team Indian Club A were the Queenpins taking the trophy in their home ground, jubilantly winning with good bowling and batting performances. Team Lovely Friends bagged the runners-up trophy.
Vasundhara Shetty, wife of Indian ambassador to Bahrain Balakrishna Shetty, was the chief guest of the evening showing keen interest and enthusiasm from the commencement of the finals.
With the onset of the third day of cricket fever, the ladies seemed to have got a better grip on the cricket field both with the bat and ball, buoyed by the constant drumming and cheering of the spectators despite the dropped catches and merry-go-round fielding. The favourite shots for batting were the couplets on the on-side, with one of the players pounding seven times to the same area for a quick increase in the score. There were a few reverse singles and some boundaries. There were no sixes blasted on the last day like on the second day. The strong winds added to the strange swing of the ball and hence the tow-line loft or swing from the bat as well! Overthrows brought in some good runs. Cricket was in the air along with the rising sand, all in the name of Kudlotsava cricket with lots of fun.
There were guests who came all the way from the sand dunes in Saudi Arabia to watch the ladies in action. It was nice to see Bahrain Cricket Association officials and enthusiasts present on the pavilion along with India’s first couple, the sponsors, well-wishers, the members of the Indian Club executive committee led by Mathew Joseph, the Indian Club cricketing committee, George from Chako, Amparo Fernandes of BMMI, Florine Mathias (ex-ILA president) and the children and husbands and even grandchildren of some of the lady cricketers in the premises.
In a packed setting, the chief commentator, Anand Lobo, always in his inimitable style, took the field of cricketers and spectators to glorious heights with his humorous commentary, encouragement and the nerves in addition to an anchor as a morale-booster coach for Team Lobo International!
Kudos to Kudlotsava with Anand Lobo at the helm for organizing this unique 7-a-side ladies cricket tournament with the assistance of the Indian Club Cricket section. For those who watched the proceedings, it was worth the time spent with so much fun and frolic that only lady cricketers can give.
After the final match, a brisk prize distribution ceremony was held with the chief guests Vasundhara Shetty and the ambassador giving away the trophies to the winners and runners-up of the tournament respectively.
The honours given and taken based on performances and selected by a panel of cricketing officals from the Indian Club were as under:
On February 18:
Best Woman of 1st Match – Asthika Shetty from Indian Club
Best Woman of 2nd Match – Mala Sudha from Indian Club
Best Woman of 3rd Match – Wilma Pereira from Lovely Friends
On February 19:
Best WO 1st Match – Sashi from Kannada Sangha
Best WO 2nd Match – Akshatha from Bunts Bahrain
Best WO 3rd Match – Vindhya Janardhan of Lobo’s Int’l
On February 20:
Best Woman 1st Semi-finals – Janet from Lovely Friends
Best Woman 2nd Semifinals – Hema from Indian Club
Best Woman of the Finals – Hema from Indian Club (walked away with a gold pendant)
Best Lady of the Tournament - Asthika Shetty from Indian Club (walked away with BD 150 being Bahrain/Cyprus return prize money sponsored by George of Chako)
Runners-up Trophy:
Team Lovely Friends: Janet (Capt), Wilma, Sandra, Leena, Margaret, Anita, Hazel
Winner's Trophy:
Team Indian Club A: Hema Raghavendra (Capt.), Asthika, Jayashree, Rehna Sunder, Sashi Manohar, Latha, Alphonso.
The Solitary Sixer-blaster prize:
Wilma Pereira of Lovely Friends
At the end of the programme a small token of gratitude in the form of a memento was presented to Vasundhara Shetty, the chief guest of the evening.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Sailesh, secretary of the Indian Club Cricket section.
The Kudlotsava program will continue with a throwball tournament for ladies and tug-of-war for men commencing at 8.30 am on Friday February 22 and culminating with a grand gala Mega Indian Festival – 'More' Kudlotsava cultural programme commencing 6.30 pm at the Indian Club Auditorium.